Listen to Genesis 16 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

Genesis 16 is the story of Abram and Sarai’s attempt to take things into their own hands and try to fulfil God’s promise to them of a son. This video explains how firstly the practice of using a slave to have children was not only an accepted custom, but also lawful for the society of the times. Yet it isn’t God’s plan to do things in this manner.

Many believers have a sense of things that God is going to do for them, and can easily fall prey to the temptation of forcing things to happen. They try to rush ahead of God. There are things we should do because of obedience, but we must not take initiative when it's not within God’s plan to do so. Later in scripture David knew he was promised to be king, but he refused to kill King Saul when he had the opportunity.  ...